Unity
by vorvol
Summary: The war is over, and Shepard survives with a few limbs lost, but she knows everything is fine. After all, Liara and all her friends are with her, every step of the way. The galaxy rebuilds, giving ample time to recover and celebrate with activities such as using the Shadow Broker's resources to violate the privacy of her associates. (F!Shep/Liara feat Jack/Miranda)
1. Calm After The Storm

**Alright, so this fanfic is three years late. I don't know if the fandom is still alive because the latest game was released ages ago, but here goes nothing. I just wanted to write about Shepard and Co.'s life after the Reaper invasion, but nothing** _ **too**_ **angsty.**

 **I'm going for a Citadel DLC-like feel where Shepard and the crew interact and basically act like dorks together. There will be a little angst because it's Mass Effect (c'mon, guys), but it will mainly be about the fluffy feels and giggly feels. Follows the Indoctrination Theory ending because I think that's one hell of a plot twist, which I want to expand on later.**

* * *

 _"Commander Shepard has been located."_

 _Footsteps follow the drone's glow into the pile of rubble, rapid and persistent. "Fucking shit," Jack loudly swears, half of her hair falling out of her ponytail and her favorite jacket torn to near uselessness. Her side is swimming with medi-gel and she really needs a nice drink, but that doesn't stop her. "Your thing's god damn bugged, I don't see Shepard here."_

 _Tali's eye twitches, although it's not visible from outside her suit. "Chiktikka's not wrong, Jack, she has to be around here somewhere." She clutches her bag of medi-gel close to her chest. They'd need it if or when they found their commander._

 _"Commander Shepard is here." The drone tells them, moving closer to a heap of concrete and an overturned Mako. "Life signs are low, but functional. Injuries-"_

 _"Out of the way!" Jack growls, the headache pounding in her head. It's times like these that she proves why she's called the strongest human biotic- even juiced out, she merely raises both her arms and bits of rebar and junk fly towards the air, followed by the wheel of said Mako and a tall slab of what used to be part of a road._

 _Tali drops her bag. "Keelah..."_

* * *

The familiar swish of the med bay's doors wake Shepard up from her pleasant nap, the first one she's had since forever. She reasons that it must be the drugs doing their magic, knocking her out whenever Doctor Chakwas comes by with that syringe of hers.

"Shepard?" Comes an amused voice, one that brings much comfort to the commander.

Shepard doesn't waste the opportunity to move the only thing she can—her right eye. Her left one is currently wrapped up nicely, like the rest of the left side of her face. She wishes she could move anything, but that's not possible in her current situation. A hefty neck brace keeps her neck in place, one that she thinks must make her look very silly.

As expected, Liara is there with a tray of her lunch in her hands, looking at the fallen magazine right beside the Spectre's bed. ' _Fornax_ ' is printed in large letters across the cover, a provocatively dressed asari posing sensually taking up the majority of the space.

"I dropped it." Shepard sheepishly says, her voice raspy from her thirst. A half-full glass of water is on the table next to her. "Damn IV won't let me move my hand."

"Is that the same copy that's been sitting on your bed for a month?" Liara chuckles, putting the tray on her bondmate's lap. She reaches down, taking the slightly crumpled magazine into her hands. A giggle. "The 'Vibrax Mark-II'?"

A wicked grin crosses Shepard's face. Liara recognizes it as the grin Shepard used to have back after she conquered the Shadow Broker's ship, right before the commander lifted her up onto the console and fucked her right there, without any regard for the multitude of buttons she pressed while doing so. Liara remembers receiving a rather confused message from an agent who said he received a message from her that's filled with nothing but random letters and gibberish. "I think the Shadow Broker can track one down, if she wanted to. It doesn't matter that the galaxy's still a mess, right?"

Liara chuckles as she puts the magazine aside, turning her attention to the tray on her bondmate's lap. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes seem like a luxury, considering Earth's state. Most people are lucky to get something fresh from the kitchen, but most people aren't in a relationship with Dr. T'Soni. "Feeling frisky already?" She sits on the remaining empty space by Shepard's side, picking up the glass of water.

"Hey, how many times have we slept together since the invasion started?" Shepard pouts. It's about the only thing she can do right now. " _Once_ , and we waited until the night before that laser tore me to pieces." She stops to take a drink when Liara holds the glass to her lips, raising her right hand to stroke the asari's cheek. "That's unacceptable!"

Nothing comes up but the stump that ends right below her elbow, neatly wrapped with a fresh layer of bandages. Doctor Chakwas must have changed it when she was asleep.

"This is going to take a little getting used to." Shepard huffs when what's left of her right arm only comes into contact with air, not the smooth blue of Liara's skin. "Can't eat, can't flip my porn magazines, can't do anything." It would be better if she could walk, but apparently, everything under her waist is absolutely shattered to bits. She still feels them throbbing now. The things she'd do to run her thumb over the smooth skin. "Hey, Liara?"

Liara carefully scoops up a spoonful of mashed potatoes, bringing them close to the lips of the Alliace's most decorated war hero yet. "Yes, Shepard?" She makes sure to position the spoon close enough so the woman can comfortably eat without craning her neck.

Shepard chews thoughtfully, far too used to military rations to complain about the bland taste of her food. "Can I have a beer?" She tries to push herself up with her legs, only to remember that her left one only reaches down to her knee.

Another thing to get used to, now that she has the time.

Liara pauses in the middle of cutting a piece of the meatloaf to give the commander a short chuckle. She leans down to her level with a smile, placing a short kiss to the Spectre's pale lips. She can't wait until she regains the blood that she's lost, so the natural pink of the human's lips can return and chase away the pasty sickness of her skin. "Once you're well enough, I'll get you all the beer you want." She serves the meatloaf fast enough to prevent the woman from complaining.

Choosing wisely, Shepard chews on the warmed piece of meat instead of whining for the third time about the lack of celebratory alcohol. And then she wonders if their reserves even exist or if it was somehow destroyed thanks to the bumps and dents the Normandy suffered during the last moments of the war. Just as she's about to cuss off the Reapers for ruining things even in their deaths, the silence of the room is broken.

"Dr. T'Soni, I have placed an order on the Sirta Mobility Assistance Chair." Comes a robotic voice from Liara's omni-tool. The volume of the voice and it's sudden activation makes her nearly drop her spoon in surprise. She _really_ ought to ask Tali to tune Glyph up. "Representatives from the Sirta Foundation have also agreed to barter the custom prosthetics for one thousand units of food rations."

The human raises an eyebrow, smirking knowingly. "I've only been awake for two days and you're already giving me gifts? I'm flattered."

"I have deducted a total of forty five thousand credits from your account to cover the expenses, Dr. T'Soni." Glyph elaborates, his lilted voice artificially cheerful as always.

Shepard has to check her ears to see if she heard him right. " _Forty five thousand_?" She repeats, looking to the broker for clarification.

"Yes." Liara is surprised by the commander's shocked tone. "Shepard, you spent twenty five thousand credits for an aquarium VI." She makes a note to show her the amount of credits she's spent on model ships and pornography magazines these past two months.

"Well, I have a lot of fish." Shepard reasons, defending herself. "And they've all got different food, and then I'd have to adjust the salinity, whatever that means, and all this other shit that I don't get. They would be _dead_ without that VI." She dramatically raises her left arm, mindful of the IV needle still jabbed in her.

"Well," Liara repeats, crossing her arms in a sense of finality. "We all know that you'll be pulling your hair out soon enough, trying to drag yourself out of bed and such." At that, she scoots her chair closer to the bed. Her elbow uncomfortably digs into the bed as she leans into it, making sure that she remembers to requisition a more comfortable bed for her bondmate at once. For the moment, though, she simply closes the distance between the injured human's face and hers.

The slight hitch in Shepard's breathing doesn't go unnoticed. She can see how badly she wants to look at her as her green eye strains to find her own blue ones, only to be prevented by the braces that hold her neck. Liara finds her hand stroking the only part of Shepard that's uncovered by her bandages—the right side of her face. By some miracle, only a small scratch has tainted the one half of the beautiful face that's been the subject of her dreams since even before Ilos.

The first touch of their lips is accompanied by a combined sigh of relief, gentle and reassuring in their soft brushes. Liara's fingers thread through the strands of iconic red hair as she takes Shepard's lips between hers. For once, their kisses aren't rushed and hungry, but slow and patient. They have time for everything now, no more Cerberus troopers dogging their every step, no more Reapers looming over them.

They're finally free.

Liara's eyes blink open when she feels the small touch of what remains of Shepard's arm on her side, too short to touch anything else. "I wish I could touch your face." She wistfully sighs.

The asari's eyebrows furrow at the words. "Oh, Shepard..." She moves herself towards Shepard's intact left hand, nevertheless rendered immobile thanks to the IV that she hates so much. No encouragement is needed for the commander to open her fingers and feel Liara's cheek. Even after all this time, she still can't get over the firm yet supple blue as fingers trace the outlines of her crest. The small bumps and ridges are familiar to the Spectre's fingers, even after the little time they had together.

"Can I move to your room, Liara?" The question doesn't catch the maiden off guard, but the hopefulness in it does. "Please?" The commander repeats, when the only reply she gets is a thoughtful look.

Liara can't think of the last time she heard the forceful human say ' _please_ '. Part of her attributes it to the drugs that flow through her veins, but she knows that's not it. "Of course, Shepard." She replies, wondering if the standard issue hospital bed will fit there. "But please don't try to leave your bed before your ribs are healed."

"But I want to sleep with you." Shepard herself is surprised by the plea in her words, mourning the loss of touch as Liara lifts herself up. " _Really_ sleep with you, without me accidentally waking you up because I needed to fuck around in the war room, or you calling your agents at random hours for updates."

The tug in Liara's chest tightens at the desperation in her voice, something rarely attributed to the war hero. She's Commander Shepard, after all. "I'll ask Doctor Chakwas to make preparations, okay?"

Shepard nods, relief etched in her smile.

"Shepard, how are you doing?" Liara speaks again, but before her bondmate can answer, she speaks again. " _Really_?"

A short laugh, tired and disbelieving. "Honestly? It still hasn't sunk in yet." Shepard's eyes doesn't leave hers, only flitting away when she raises her amputated arm to check if it's really gone. She wiggles her left leg a bit, clenching the toes that she doesn't have anymore. She tries to bend her knee, but of course nothing is there. "I actually woke up this morning, thinking about practicing my my rifle and doing some bag work with James, and then..." Her brow crinkles, just it did after she came back from Tuchanka, after the Cerberus raid on the Citadel. After Virmire.

Liara's forehead presses to Shepard's, closing her eyes as she feels the slow but steady breaths that ghost over her skin. "I thought I was going to lose you for good, Shepard."

"Have some faith, Liara." The human says with mock hurt, forcing down her frown. "I'm _me_ , after all." The trademark bravado gives the Shadow Broker comfort, although she distinctly recalls the finality of the words spoken to her before the charge to the Crucible. "Besides, didn't I promise to have little blue babies with you?"

Pleasant images fly through Liara's consciousness, of Shepard burning their daughter's breakfast and ordering takeout instead, of the little blue bundle of joy in her arms for the first time. She had thought those images were nothing but an impossible dream, but maybe not—no, definitely not anymore. "Papa Shepard," Liara says out loud, chuckling at the sound. "She'll be so proud."

"And she'll have her uncles and aunts. Maybe Jack will end up teaching her one day." She wonders. "Imagine her trying to dodge curfew with mommy Shadow Broker on the job."

A beautiful giggle escapes Liara's lips, the first she's had in a long time. She climbs into the bed slowly, careful not to elbow Shepard in her raw wounds as she lies next to the human, reclining her head comfortably over the commander's bicep. She has to remind herself not to reach out for her fingers, at least not until the prosthetics arrive. "You really want to have a baby?" Her voice is low as she resumes meshing their lips together, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah." Comes her sure reply, nuzzling into the asari's crest. "I'd go insane if I retired, though."

 _Of course_. "We'll find a way." Liara promises, lips on the marine's cheek. She's the Shadow Broker, too—a good one who likes her job. She knows she wouldn't know what to do if she were to sit around in a house all day.

"I'll have to get better first before that." Shepard chuckles, realizing that she's getting ahead of herself. "I'll want to do the classic stuff, y'know? Buy you chocolate late at night when you're craving, stuff like that. Can't really do that when I'm bedridden."

Liara considers it for a bit. "If you're bored, you can help me sort out some information in the terminal."

"That would be great." Shepard smiles. She'll probably end up snooping around to find out what extranet websites her friends frequent, completely invading their privacy, but privacy itself doesn't exist within the crew of the Normandy, anyway—EDI has some very disconcerting reports of Garrus and Tali's activities in the little den the turian claimed as his own.

 _Swish._

Liara is very much curious when Shepard's good eye widens to the size of a dinner plate at the sight of EDI casually walking into the room. The AI's body has a few visible chinks and scratches, but it's nothing that she can't handle—she's EDI, after all.

That's exactly why the Shadow Broker knows something is wrong when she sees the bottom of Shepard's lip tremor. Something suddenly catches in the commander's throat.

"Good afternoon, Shepard." EDI's voice is amiable as always. "I would like to see how you are doing."

"EDI?" Shepard's face pales. "You're alive." She has to say it out loud, as if she can't believe her eyes.

EDI exchanges looks with Liara, both equally confused. "Yes, Shepard, I am fully well." Her voice is hesitant. She distinctly remembers having to tell this to Shepard several times before. "My body sustained collateral damage, but none that are lethal. Although I do control this body, my main battery resides in the Normandy's—"

"I know." Shepard grimly says.

She crosses her arms. "Is there an issue, Shepard?"

"I saw you die."

* * *

 **Okay, okay. I said not much angst and serious stuff, and I intend on keeping my promise. You'll see in the next chapter, if there is one.**

 **I mainly posted this story to see if the fandom is still alive and kicking or dead, 'cause... well, the last game came out three years ago and the new one isn't out yet. Anyways, let me know if you're reading this and want to continue, because I'm not sure if I should do that yet. Thanks!**

 **Details on Shepard's injuries will come up in CH2, if I decide to write it. Also, Shepard messing with the Broker terminal and being up to no good. One other question: little blue babies or no little blue babies?**


	2. Marry Rich

_Hungry lips rise up the column of Liara's neck, sparking a long dormant wave of desire in the asari's loins. Strong arms slowly pull her away from the Shadow Broker's console as they wander her clothed skin, hot breaths intermingling as a bruising kiss reminds her exactly what she's been missing ever since Shepard's last visit to her in Hagalaz, right before she turned herself in to the Alliance._

 _The heat of Shepard's fingers feel like an ignition on her long untouched skin, and she finds herself being rapidly guided to the bed on the other side of the room._

 _And then the console beeps, and Liara's heart sinks. If her instincts are right, then this message is from the agent she planted in that Cerberus facility. If she ignores this message, pulls her agent too late, the crucial information on intercepting the terrorist group's communications will be lost._

 _At the same time, EDI's voice rings out from the speaker. "Shepard, Admiral Hackett would like to speak to you immediately."_

 _Shepard curses, forcing her lips to let go of the pulse point on the asari's neck. Interrupted again._

* * *

EDI takes one last look at her injured Commander on the bed, her sensors still picking up quite the amount of distress and confusion from the look on the commander's face. "I would like to stay more, Shepard, but this body would be more useful in the more damaged areas of London. It's uncanny strength makes it useful in tasks such as clearing debris and my sensors are very helpful in scanning for bodies."

"Okay," Shepard says, because she really doesn't know what else to say. And then she thinks of something, although she knows it's useless, but she decides to say it anyway. "Be careful."

And then the AI shows the human something that would puzzle anyone who hasn't served on the Normandy—a smile so grateful that those people out there who swallowed up her claims of being a VI would be nothing less than absolutely baffled. "I am always careful, Shepard. But thank you. If you wish to speak with me, do remember that I exist primarily in this ship and I am wired to every room in the Normandy."

"Of course, EDI." Shepard's about to nod until she remembers that her neck can't move.

"Then I will take my leave." She gives Liara her own nod of acknowledgement and walks outside, leaving the room in silence once more.

It doesn't take long for Liara to notice that the commander has gone quiet. She considers calming her down with whatever she can do, like she did during the war, but Shepard breaks her silence before the asari can. "I must've been hallucinating or something." The human is about to raise her arm to pinch the bridge of her nose, but then she realizes she can't do that anymore. "I never even thought it was weird that I could see Zaeed lounging in a beach somewhere, see the geth and the quarians on Rannoch..."

Liara makes a mental note to investigate this later. "Don't think too much of it, Shepard. The war is over, now. We're both okay."

Shepard chuckles with a shake of her head. "I guess I _really_ do have to shut up if you're the one telling me to not overthink things. It's nice seeing you like this."

"Like this?" Liara returns to her previous position, lying down beside her bondmate. She still can't bring herself to hold the human in her arms, not wanting to irritate whatever's under the bandages wrapped all over her body. It irritates her to have to keep her distance, even now, but one look of Shepard's amused green eye changes her mind.

"Being relaxed. _Joking_." Shepard says the last word as if it's that unthinkable.

"I recall that you were the one who spent your times with the councilors swearing at them." Liara's eyelids start to feel heavier the moment the side of her head falls onto the pillow. How many times had she woken herself up to make sure her bondmate was comfortable last night? She can't tell, nor can she remember if she even slept at all the previous day. Before that, she had been too busy scouring for any intel on Cerberus or the Crucible to even set foot outside of her own quarters, and before that she had been worried about if Shepard would make it out of the Omega-4 Relay, and so on.

So many years spent chasing and being chased.

"I had to let go of my tension somehow, since your ' _services_ ' were never available..."

Liara has to remember to not shove Shepard in the chest, even playfully. "You grump."

Shepard gives her a look of utter perversion, which is quite a feat, considering her current condition. "You know, I can still open my legs. All this stupid looking hospital gown does is give you easier access." She shifts her eyes around for humor's sake, as if she's trying to prevent someone from hearing. "I'm not wearing anything underneath." She whispers.

"Oh, really?" Liara's lips quirk upwards playfully. Her hand sneakily tickles Shepard's covered skin as they trail down her legs on their way to confirm the Spectre's words.

 _Swish._

"I said slow down, you bitch!"

Shepard seems almost disappointed at the sound of the voice. "And these must be my favorite babies."

Miranda effortlessly strides towards Shepard's bed, her usual air of nonchalance a stark contrast to the biotic stomping carelessly behind her. "EDI told me you're awake, Shepard." The former Cerberus operative says, a small smile on her face as she walks with the datapad under her arm.

Jack grumpily scowls as she catches up with the fellow Normandy veteran, crossing her arms when she finally reaches Shepard's bed. "I told you they're probably busy trying to fuck," She definitely noticed Liara's hand and it's location. "Like _we_ should be doing, back in some closet or bathroom. _Right now_."

"Can't you see that I can't even move anything, Jack?" Shepard deadpans, although she can't help but laugh a bit at the teacher's situation. At least she's not the only one who isn't getting laid.

"Bullshit," Jack immediately calls out. "Doc here can just squat over your face and ride."

"Patience is a virtue, Jack." Anyone can plainly see that Miranda doesn't actually mean it—the smirk on her face is clue enough. "Anyway, I've got a record of all Shepard's injuries right here."

"You'd better just hold on to it, Miranda." Shepard gives the asari nestled beside her a wry look. "Liara got a heart attack when I got shot in the leg during the fight with Kai Leng, so I have a feeling she'll never let me step foot out of this room again if you read that to her. Besides, you brought me back and I was a sack of dried meat and a brain, so I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."

"You must forget that I know everything that goes on around here, Shepard." Liara indiscreetly removes her hand from her thigh.

Miranda smiles at the compliment, but only for a second. "A piece of shrapnel took out your left eye, Shepard. We had to take out what was left of it. There's going to be a scar around it, but you got out lucky, despite the circumstances."

Shepard snickers. "What else is new?"

"Your right arm was disintegrated by Harbringer's laser. By the time Jack found you, it was completely gone."

"Wait, Jack found me?" No one had told her that.

Jack smirks proudly. "Yeah, and now I'm not getting laid because of you. Fucking thanks, Shepard."

Miranda rolls her eyes at the comment. "Anyway," She returns to the subject at hand. "According to reports, when you exited the Citadel, an upturned Mako fell on top of you and caught fire. We can safely assume that the fire and the collision is what took your leg."

"I don't remember that, but okay." Shepard nods.

"Guess the 'Shepard's luck' ran out." Jack cockily leans against the table.

Shepard smirks. _Too easy_. "I'm actually going to get laid the second you get out of here, so I guess not."

Jack aims a very harsh, very piercing look at the biotic standing next to her, only to be promptly ignored. Miranda continues as if she hasn't noticed the deadly leer specifically reserved for her. "I should mention that you took a few bullets, and that the Mako shattered your ribs, but I figured you'd be more interested in how long it will take to get you back to full condition."

"I suppose it's ironic that the Mako nearly killed her after all the times she's nearly killed _me_ with the Mako." Liara faintly smiles.

Jack scoffs. "Hell, this asshole managed to rent a car and take us out drinking once. Kasumi barfed her guts out on Chambers' shoes, and it wasn't 'cause of the booze."

Miranda chuckles at the old memory. "I helpfully informed that I would be driving on any of our future nights out."

Liara doesn't seem the least bit apologetic. "It's quite sad, but I believe every word of it."

"Liara," Shepard rolls her eye. "Have a little faith in me, please?"

"I caught the whole thing from the security cameras." Liara bluntly says, looking at the commander with an equal amount of amusement and bemusement.

"Heh," Jack fishes her head for more incidents that the Shadow Broker must know. "You know about that time Samara dragged her out of Afterlife?"

"Of course. Aria did seem very amused when Shepard entertained the guests by dancing on the poles in her armor."

Miranda tries to hold back her laughter. "Or Shepard _dancing_ , period."

The three of them break out into laughter almost simultaneously, while all Shepard does is tighten her lips until they's basically one straight line. "Thank you all for the unconditional love and support. I really appreciate it."

Jack hooks her arm around Miranda's shoulder, throwing her head back as a guffaw rips into the air. "Oh, oh," She takes a deep breath. "And then after we got back from Ilium to see the Doc, Shepard got so drunk off her ass she actually brought that picture of you to the mess hall and started rubbing one out on the table!"

"It was funny for you, Jack." Miranda's grimace is almost painful. "I was the one who found her there at three in the morning. With her hand down her pants."

"I fucking hate all of you." Shepard gives the two her most intimidating gaze. Unfortunately for the commander, even the tone that intimidated krogans into surrender doesn't mean much when she can't even move. "I'm going to retire and become a dancer at Aria's, and _then_ let's see who's laughing."

"Aria, probably." Jack deadpans.

"Fuck you, Jack."

"Nah, I prefer a bit more ass." She playfully slaps Miranda's plump behind.

"When I become a dancer, I'm going to have Aria record me every night and send it to your mail."

Jack gives Liara a look of rare sympathy. "Don't embarrass your girl, Shepard. Even more than you have, anyway." Her eyes stray for a second, landing on the Fornax magazine on the table. The biotic gingerly picks it up, a wicked smirk on her face as she flips the pages. "Shepard had a lot of these lying around in her room. Wanted to borrow 'em, but I had a feeling she didn't wash her hands that much, that fucker."

"Oh, stop it," Liara giggles, lightly kissing Shepard's cheek. "I think she's turning purple."

"Once I get out of this bed, I'm kicking all of your asses."

The words seem to bring the three back to their previous topic. Miranda lifts her datapad again, while Jack is back to her obvious staring of the Lawson's breasts. Liara's thumb absentmindedly traces circles over Shepard's cheek, her smile falling from her face rapidly.

"Shepard, I have good news and bad news." Miranda finally says, after a pregnant pause.

Shepard wishes she could hold Liara's hand right now. Judging by the distant look on the maiden's face, she looks like she needs it. "Lay it on me."

"When I rebuilt you, I rebuilt you exactly as you were. But there were some... complications." Miranda bites her lip. "I employed the use of cybernetics to put you together because you were so damaged that it wouldn't have been impossible to rebuild you, otherwise. After that, you installed a myriad of upgrades to your body to increase combat abilities, such as improving biotic abilities, bone density, muscle strength, and some others."

"Those upgrades certainly did come in handy." Shepard raises an eyebrow, curious of the direction their talk is going. "What's wrong?"

"You've changed yourself so much that you're considered partly synthetic, Shepard." Miranda states simply, with an air of admiration and fascination in her voice. "You already were partly synthetic when you came back, but the modifications installed to your body made you even more so."

"And..."

"You took a mostly direct hit from the laser. It would have killed you outright if you didn't dodge a part of it, or if your armor had been more damaged. Shepard, no body is meant to take that kind of damage. The implants we put into you short-circuited."

"Which means?" Shepard asks again, with a lazy grin. "Please enlighten the dumb grunt."

"The implants are part of your body. It's as natural as your own flesh and blood, Shepard, it's essential to your survival. You must have noticed the quickened healing that allowed you to break a bone in one mission and be ready to fight again during the next. When the implants short circuited, they ceased to function, but only some."

Shepard notices Liara's thumb stiffen on her cheek. "Don't tell me I'm going to die _now_ , that's going to be so anticlimactic."

"Fortunately, no." Miranda's face lights up, even if it's just a bit. "In layman's terms, the bottom part of your body was crushed by the Mako. The broken bones will heal in time, but the short circuited cybernetics will prevent your leg from fully healing. Your ribs will be fine, but expect some cricks here and there." The biologically engineered woman notices Shepard's face fall as the implications sink in. "But there is a way out. If I could have the materials I need to perform surgery on you, I can give you a ninety five percent chance of a full recovery."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here..."

"It would take an inordinate amount of money to accomplish that," Miranda puts the datapad down on the bed, right on Liara's lap. "Money that I have no access to, at the moment."

"What's the problem?" Jack shrugs. "It's fucking Shepard, just hold out a hat out there that says 'Shepard Relief Fund' and someone's gonna fill it sooner or later."

"Then you obviously haven't seen how much we need."

Liara holds the datapad between her fingers, scrolling down. Miranda had detailed every part of Shepard that needs fixing, as well as the cost it would take to purchase the equipment needed. Her trained eyes scan the numbers as Miranda and Jack's lighthearted bickering seems to grow more distant. The credits pile on and on until the total is underlined at the very bottom. The Shadow Broker nods without hesitation. "I'll pay."

"What?" Miranda asks, disbelief written in her voice. "Are you sure?"

"Let me repeat that, Liara." Shepard coins in. " _What?_ "

Jack is the only one who doesn't seem the least bit shocked. "Marry rich, right, Shepard?"

* * *

 **Yeah, slow chapter because we can't have them all be eventful. Who wants some baby making and unbearable fluff next?**


	3. Names

**Poor Kaidan.**

* * *

 _He's not here anymore._

 _She and Kaidan promised to go out for drinks once they took care of Saren. Shepard lies slumped against his locker, looking through her mail in her omni-tool. She keeps waiting for him to tell her to go back and pick him up because he's fine and alive, definitely not dead and alone in an unmarked grave._

 _Nobody had wanted a former space pirate in the crew. It's not like he trusted her from the start, but he really tried to understand her. They went to a batarian joint during their first shore leave together, and they never had dinner without each other since._

 _Maybe she should have brought him and left Kirrahe's men to die. Maybe they would have been close to failing the mission, but he would still be alive right now._

 _That night, she carved one name to the back of her dog tags, neat and clear._

* * *

Garrus may be walking a bit too fast for someone who's using a crutch. He carefully holds Shepard's prized dog tags in his hand, careful not to damage the memorabilia. It had survived being spaced and thrown into a planet, but it was still Shepard's, even if it's more than a bit worse for wear.

"Slow down, Garrus, you'll fall down the stairs. Again." He can't see Tali's face

"That wouldn't be so bad," He takes a moment to fix his balance. "Maybe I could get a new scar. I know you love them." He strokes the side of his face self indulgently.

Tali nearly forgets to stop herself from shoving the turian jokingly. "Do that and I'll leave you down there this time." She says, opening the door.

"Who is it?" Comes Shepard's voice. "Whoever it is, I hope you don't mind the piss smell."

"This place could use a little freshening up." Garrus lightly sniffs the air. Yes, he certainly smells a hint of human urine.

"Liara just took out my piss pot." The commander chuckles. "So what brings the two of you to little old me?"

"What, we're not allowed to see you?" Garrus limps towards her, dog tags in hand. Tali dutifully keeps up with him, just in case he makes a bad step.

"I just wanted to gloat about how I saved your life, Shepard." Tali coughs uncomfortably, her breath a bit irregular. Her suit is fixed now, but her chest still feels a bit tight.

"You took your damn time, Tali." Shepard is relieved when she can finally see the two by the foot of her bed. "I was getting tired of lying under that pile of rubble."

"I considered leaving you there, but I think Liara would have splattered me into a little purple stain, if I did." Tali teases, her arm loose around Garrus'. She coughs again.

Garrus makes his way to Shepard's side, carefully placing the tags on her open hand. "I found this for you. I thought you'd want to keep it."

When she clasps the cold inside her only hand, she immediately knows what it is. It's not as smooth as it used to be years ago, but it's still hers. "Tali?"

"Hm?"

"Can you hold it up for me?"

"Of course, Shepard." Tali almost feels nervous as she takes it from Shepard's hand. Light as the piece of accessory is, it feels heavy in her chest. She's irrationally afraid to break the item she's seen Shepard stare wordlessly at for minutes at a time as the redhead spent more time than she required at the bar.

The chain clinks as the tags are held right in front of her face. As she suspected, the red is faded and partially scratched out. It certainly looks worn, but it's definitely intact. It spins slowly, revealing the smooth back.

Three names are etched into it. _Kaidan. Thane. Mordin._

"They can rest easy, now." Shepard smiles, but the two have to squint to see it. Half of her face is covered up, after all. As fast as it appears, it falls again. "How many names are going to wind up here, now that it's over?"

"None." Garrus gently takes his hand to hers, slowly bringing it down.

Shepard looks at him, puzzled when he doesn't let go of her hand. "Come on, you're telling me that I didn't end up leading my people to death this time?"

"Shepard, the casualties are high." Tali begins, and the human sucks in her breath. Here it comes. "But we are all fine."

"Define 'we'."

"I... I think it's so selfish of me to say this when so many corpses are out there without graves, but... I'm glad that the entire crew is okay. Everyone from the Omega-4 team is fine, too."

"You're shitting me." Shepard blinks. "The Normandy crew is all good?"

Garrus' mandibles twitch in amusement. "I guess the Shepard luck rubbed off on us."

The commander agrees wholeheartedly. She laughs softly. They're fine. So many corpses are piling outside and Earth is a piece of rubble, but they're okay. She feels like a bit of an asshole, feeling like she's standing on the highest mountain on top of the piles of the dead, but they're alive. "So what now? Marriage, kids, shooting people again?"

Tali grins, although no one can see her do it. "Maybe after everything has calmed down." She gives the turian a hopeful look.

He responds with a nervous laugh, but not an uncomfortable one, just in time for the door to open. A rather satisfied looking Liara is busily fiddling with her omni-tool, not even noticing the two dextro aliens until they're right in front of her. Her other hand is holding a bucket and two towels. "Oh, Garrus. Tali."

"Back to work already?" Garrus disbelievingly asks. "That's hardcore, Liara."

"Even for you." Tali finishes.

"Information doesn't sleep." Liara repeats the words she always says when anyone makes that observation. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Come to check up on me?" Shepard asks, although she already knows the question.

Liara nods. "That, and I think you would find this useful. It will keep you entertained, at least."

Shepard raises her eyebrow in curiosity when her omni-tool beeps to life. Although she can't see it, she can hear the telltale whir of something being downloaded. "If it's porn-"

A familiar sphere of light blue suddenly pops up from the interface of her omni-tool, although quite a bit smaller than it usually is. "It's good to see you again, Commander Shepard."

"Glyph?" Shepard gives Liara a puzzled look.

"Yes, it is I." The VI doesn't have a face, but it's voice sounds almost happier than usual. "Dr. T'Soni has downloaded me to you omni-tool to assist you while you are not mobile. I am capable of voice activation and commands, meaning that you can comfortably sit back and recline while I do the heavy lifting. Literally."

"His sense of humor is... Appealing." Shepard dryly comments. "As always."

Liara smiles at the bemused expression on the commander's face, brushing away her red bangs and planting a loving kiss on her forehead. "You can thank Tali for that."

Instead of doing that, Shepard gives the quarian a very betrayed look. If they were anyone else, they wouldn't have known that the human wasn't serious. "Why would you do this to me? Couldn't you have given it a hot voice, at least?"

"Glyph." Tali gives the drone one look.

"Of course." The blue sphere minimizes and is replaced by a very accurate holo of Shepard's own face in an orangey red. "What the fuck are you staring at, soldier?" It barks in an obnoxiously aggressive tone.

Shepard slowly turns her head to Tali. She has no doubt that under that suit is a completely smug face. "What the shit?"

"Mini-Shepard will follow all your instructions, and she will also help with that role playing game you like so much." Liara doesn't take long to remember the game that Shepard hasn't touched in ages since the war. "The one where you upgrade your own Normandy, recruit war heroes, and go to war."

"I still can't believe there was a war going on, and people were making games about going to war." Tali sounds every bit baffled.

The Shepard VI grins maniacally. "You can never have enough guns and grenades."

Shepard doesn't pay too much attention to her words. "Am I the only one who thinks that thing doesn't sound like me? At all?"

Liara gives the VI a long look. "I don't know, Shepard, she sounds and looks an awful lot like you when you haven't had your morning coffee."

"Just... Switch back to Glyph. Please." Shepard stares the mini-her right in it's holographic eye.

"Pussy." The VI spits, before it blinks out.

In it's place, Glyph springs up again. "Good evening, commander. It's time for your bath. Dr. T'Soni is right here. She will take care of your hygiene needs."

"I wish she'd take care of my _other_ needs." That explains the bucket and towels.

Garrus laughs deeply. "I guess the commander has earned her reward."

"Commander, you have ten mails from Hannah Shepard. Other mails marked as top priority include voice messages from Urdnot Wrex, Justicar Samara, and an invoice from a clinic regarding the Spectre Ashley Williams." Glyph informs.

"We just got back from Ashley's, actually." Tali says, once she sees the look of worry on Shepard's place.

"She told me she'd kick your ass if you didn't tell her how you were doing soon." Garrus pauses. "She said that two hours ago, so you might want to hurry."

"I believe you." Shepard chuckles. It seems that the Spectre is really still alive and kicking, after all. "Glyph, ask Ashley Williams how she's doing. Update her with my medical condition and get someone to transport her here. Tell everyone that I'm alive, and tell my mother that I'm sorry it took so long to reply."

"Understood, Commander."

"We're just going to leave now before we get a dose of unwanted exhibitionism." Garrus says, letting the quarian help him up.

Shepard rolls her eye. "Everyone wants a piece of the commander."

"You should stop calling her that in bed, Liara." Garrus looks back just before he has a chance to open the door. The humor in his eyes gives way to something relieved, something softer, like he can't believe that both of them are still alive after all this. If turians could grin, that's what he'd be doing at the moment. "I want you up and about as soon as possible. That's an order, soldier."

"Let me know if you want a Liara VI instead." Tali can see the human's eye light up at the suggestion. "And do get better, Shepard. The galaxy doesn't need any more explosions yet, but it would be nice to see you fine again."

The Spectre turns her neck as far as she can, which isn't far at all. "I'll be seeing you again?"

Garrus almost looks offended. "I didn't get shot at by a giant laser to run away on the next shuttle, Shepard."

"We'll be here next thing tomorrow morning." Tali promises. "Providing Garrus doesn't sleep in again."

"I think we've earned ourselves some lazy mornings." Shepard seems relieved at their answers. At least they're not going like last time, after she got spaced. "And I'm looking forward to that VI."

"Especially our commander." Liara gives the two a look of understanding as they walk out. This time, things will be different. She slowly unbuttons the baggy hospital gown, revealing the bandages that she carefully snips and peels off before droplets of water fall back into the bucket as she dips and wrings the towel.

Glyph pops up next to her. "Commander Shepard, Hannah Shepard is calling."

"Accept."

A holo of the mysterious—at least to her crew mates—Hannah Shepard pops up. The woman bears some resemblance to her daughter, even with the wrinkles on her face and the slightly lighter shade of green in her eyes. Her red hair is held up in a professional bun and her face is caught in between both annoyance and massive relief. "Jane Shepard, how could you have forgotten to tell me that you're not dead? Again?"

Shepard winces. When her mother calls her by her full name, she knows she's going to get chewed up when her mother shows up for her next unexpected visit. "I wasn't even awake when you sent those messages, mom. The doctors were busy cutting my limbs off."

Hannah only just notices her daughter's bare shoulders. "Why are you undressed?"

"I'm getting myself cleaned up, ma." Even the very careful swabs of the towel isn't enough to break her tension. Hannah Shepard's surprise visits were infamous in the Normandy SR-1. The crew couldn't believe the amount of food the elder Shepard brought for her daughter, all around badass and Spectre candidate.

The woman had been furious when she found out that Shepard wasn't dead after all, and she was even angrier when the war hero explained that she couldn't visit a Cerberus ship.

With the war, they had only talked via omni-tool, which means that Hannah Shepard hasn't seen her daughter face to face for almost four years. She'll be back soon.

"Oh. How has my daughter been behaving, Karin? How is her condition?"

Silence. Liara gives Shepard a look, asking for permission to answer. She knows how the commander is so fickle of talking about her to her mother. She had always insisted that her mother would never stop interrogating them about everything there is to ask about.

"Uh, mom... It's not Dr. Chakwas." Shepard swallows as if she's digging her own grave. "It's Liara."

"What?" Hannah's mouth forms a perfect 'O'. "Let me see her."

"Why?" Shepard defensively asks.

"Jane!" The commander knows that her mother's hands are demandingly on her hips, although she can't actually see it. "I cannot believe you. First, I only find out about my own daughter's relationship from a news website, and now you wont't let me see your girlfriend?" Before Shepard can answer, Hannah doesn't let her. "That is it, Jane. I'm coming to see you and your girlfriend. ETA eleven hours."

She didn't even get to say goodbye before the call ends. "Oh, shit."

Liara is cleaning in between Shepard's toes when she looks up at the Spectre with an absolutely devilish look. "Perhaps I should send a message to her and say that you've been an irredeemable lecher, as always."

"I've never heard you complain about it." Shepard giggles a bit, the foreign sound reverberating around the room as Liara washes the ticklish spot behind her knees. "This is like a scene from a vid, y'know?"

Liara wouldn't know. She doesn't watch a lot of them. "Oh?"

"Dashing soldier gets hurt, love interest takes care of her..." Shepard wiggles her visible eyebrow. "They end up fucking on the hospital bed..."

Liara runs the dry towel towards the commander's chest, not the least surprised at where her train of thought is going. "Why did I see that coming from a mile away?"

"You know me too well." A flicker of hope lights up in her head when the asari plops the towels in the bucket, briefly checking her omni-tool for the time. "I think it's time to bring you to my room, Shepard."

She thinks so too.

* * *

 **Who wants more mommy Shepard? 'Cause I do.**

 **Also baby making in the next chapter. Who's excited for baby making?**

 **P.S I've been very busy because I'm moving to Vancouver tomorrow. Please correct me if I made some mistakes, spelling or grammar wise. Thanks!**


	4. Shit Is Going Down

**Okay, I'm so sorry for taking so long. I just moved to Vancouver for college and it's taking a while to take care of stuff. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy, even though it's not really smutty... At all, in my opinion. This is super soft compared to what I usually make, but... Yeah. I don't think it's a good move to be too raunchy with this kind of chapter.**

* * *

 _Shepard has never been a woman with nothing behind her eyes. Even before the glow of cybernetics cracked the pure green of her pupils, there has always a kind of determination, a kind of drive that put her a cut over the rest. Her crew would say that it's not her frightening proficiency for combat that made her Shepard._

 _The commander has that grit that could convince anyone to follow her into the deepest pits of hell._

 _She may have destroyed the training room because Kaidan isn't there to do it with her anymore, but Liara can make her forget about it for a little while. The asari studies the smaller and bigger scars on the human's body, marks left from that piece of shrapnel that embedded itself to her hip long before they met, and leftovers from the bullet holes she so carelessly received as she ran and ran to save the man who's been at her side from the beginning._

 _There she lies, bolder than she has ever been, under the redhead's bare body. The archaeologist feels the lines of hard muscles beneath her hands, remembering how perfectly they tensed as they finished together just moments before. Shepard's hips are still between her open legs as the Spectre presses a light kiss to her collarbone. "You're adorable, Liara." She husks, dragging her lips over a flushed blue cheek and to the beginnings of her crest._

 _"Flatterer." Liara murmurs, before her lips are claimed once more. Her thumb grazes over an untainted cheek. Shepard is everything she imagined her to be under her N7 armor._

 _She gasps and calls the maiden's name as she comes and she treats her with slow kisses and tender words after they're done. Liara never hears Shepard giggle or say such things to anyone else but her, and she loves it._

 _And maybe she doesn't know it yet, but she loves her._

 _"Ready for round two?"_

 _"Commander!"_

* * *

The crew stares in very uncomfortable silence as Shepard floats over the table, and consequently also over Gabriella and Ken. A buzz of biotic energy sparks in a firm rectangle below her. Ken's spoonful of eggs falls to his plate as he pauses in the middle of putting it in his mouth. "Nothing to see here." Shepard says, hearing the small plop. "Just moving somewhere more comfy."

Gabriella warily looks around. "Uh, commander, Doctor Chakwas is going to be furious if she sees this."

"She's down in the refugee camps." Liara keeps her eyes trained on the floating human. This is a certainly unusual use of her biotics. Shepard had whined for a very long time to actually get her to consider doing this, so she had better do it right and not end up hurting her even more.

Shepard brings her finger to her lips and shushes her. "Come on, that hospital bed has really thin sheets. It's killing my back, and it's already broken."

Ken looks ready to jump and catch her if she falls, even as he and Gabriella both look at the asari like her crests had just grown into full on tentacles. "Oh. Okay, then. I'll, uh, just be here. I didn't see anything."

"Commander," Gabriella holds her breath. "Please tell me you're wearing something under that."

"I am, Daniels. Don't worry, I don't need to add 'flashing my crew' to the long list of regrets I have." Shepard says, her voice getting farther as she levitates into the Shadow Broker's room.

"Of course..." The engineer smiles awkwardly. "Um, yes."

The hum of Liara's massive generator is a sound she never thought she'd hear again. A myriad of other ones, such as the sound of her mother's nagging and that of Dr. Chakwas telling her to lie down some more, also takes the cake. She knows she'll need it for the months and years that follow.

That, and Liara's bed is so much softer than the infirmary's. The buzz of biotic energy subsides slowly, letting her settle nicely on the bed, judging by the lack of stabbing pain on her lower back. She's broken bones before, she knows what it feels like when she gets too impatient and moves it too much.

Although the full weight of Shepard's head is on the pillow, Liara doesn't make a move to join her. "I'm going to go and get your IV, Shepard." She says, before she turns to the door again.

"No." The Spectre's voice is firm, yet pleading. "Liara, wait."

Liara stubbornly crosses her arms, a faint smirk on her face. "Shepard, we had an agreement. I'll bring you here before Dr. Chakwas is back, but you'll have to have your IV."

"Later." Shepard expertly brushes it off. "Come here." She gives the asari her best smile, the ones she used to give her when she wanted to do some less innocent things in the SR-1's med bay. She's out of practice, but it's worth a shot.

Liara's just about to reprimand the commander, but then she remembers that it's been far too long since she's heard the dark husk in her voice. Just like that, she relents. Her feet unconsciously carry her to the bed. "Pervert."

The information broker thought that Shepard would give her one of her smutty retorts, but she's surprised when the words never come. "Just lie down with me. Please." _Please._ "I just want things to be fine again."

It's not with a small amount of tiredness that Liara finally comes onto the bed, but it's not the aching muscles and sores that keep her down. It's the sheer exhaustion of reading down thousands of pages' worth of casualty reports and fallen colonies, the drain that can only be caused by watching her bondmate suffer under the fire of hordes of Reapers over the corpse of London over and over again.

"No more Reapers." The pad of a blue thumb traces the web of a glowing scar on her cheek. "No more Cerberus." Lips hover only slightly above hers. "Just you, me, and our dysfunctional big family of hard assed veterans."

"James has expressed a desire to open a restaurant in the Citadel," Liara then remembers that no one knows what's actually happened to it yet. "Or wherever the next hub of all the species will be. I may gather the funds for him to hire the chefs and rent the necessary property while he continues with his N7 training."

"I heard Miranda and Jack moved in to that big room we have. I can't believe they're getting along, not to mention sleeping together." Shepard grins lazily. "Okay, the second one I can believe."

"Don't let any of them hear you say that." Liara wryly reminds her.

Once again, the snarky reponse the maiden expects to come doesn't ever show up. She begins to get quite concerned when Shepard is quiet for far too long. "There's one thing I want to do."

"What's that?"

Despite how close their faces are, it's not until the first drop of tears slide down Shepard's cheek that Liara realizes that she's actually crying. She has seen the commander cry many times before; when she pounded the lockers with her fists until they bled as they sped away without Kaidan, when she refused to let the doctors take away Thane's body, and when she couldn't find enough of Mordin to bury.

Contrary to popular assumptions, Commander Shepard can actually cry. Perhaps no one could see it through the enraged cries as she stabbed Kai Leng to death, but she wept. She cried the first time she went to Ilium and found herself without familiar arms around her waist.

All those times, Shepard had always held the tears back as she clenched her fists tight and fought away the sobs, even when she was unsuccessful. She did quite well after Virmire, but each death chipped away her resolve like a bullet ramming into steel. By the time Thane was gone, just after she lost Mordin, she was almost finished. Then came Thessia.

Not now, no more. This time, the tears flow freely and seep into the white pillow without a hint of resistance. A remorseful smile rises onto Shepard's exhausted face. "I want to set up a memorial for everyone. I want all of them to remember so everything we've lost, everything they've given up, won't be for nothing." They would be happy to see them live to see today. "It's going to be hard to fit all those names into one thing, though."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out, Shepard." Liara promises. She holds the human's remaining hand in hers, without any intention of letting go. "I may not have known Mordin and Thane very well, but I knew how much they meant to you. Mean, sorry." She corrects herself. "Kaidan was my friend too."

"Liara?"

"Shepard?"

"Kiss me."

And she does. The asari wipes away the tears although more and more escape the commander's eye, but she knows she'll do it for as long as she needs to. Shepard's lips aren't demanding or lustful, but feeling and searching for anything of Liara's that she can reach. It begins with a small probe of her tongue that's followed by a hand to the back of the Shadow Broker's crest that pulls her down, closer and deeper.

Liara has enough thought to stop herself from letting her full weight on Shepard's still fragile body, but she finds it easy to straddle the commander just lightly enough not to hurt her. It comes to her that this is the moment when Shepard usually flips her over or revels in her attention, but now she just lets herself lie down as the older alien guides her along. The gentle urging of the human's hand on her neck lets off only for a bit to let blue hands slowly unbutton her much hated hospital gown. Flesh is exposed to the air, but only the parts lucky enough to not be under gauze and bandages.

Shepard deems them lucky not because of the lack of dull, itching pain, but mostly because they have the privilege of being under the scientist's hands and wandering mouth. The trail sears a spike of want into the commander's core that only grows as those blue lips inch closer and closer to the tight and dark pair of her favorite boxers.

Shepard grabs Liara's hand. "Wait." The single word takes a lot of her will to say. "Let me do it first. I miss hearing your voice."

"Whatever you want, Shepard." She lets the one hand guide her back up until it's close enough to fumble with her pants. The button has been taken care of and her fly is down, but the tugs do little to strip her of the article of clothing. Liara helpfully helps herself out of it, to Shepard's relief, but then the hand moves just out of reach from her collar.

"This too, yeah?" Shepard unabashedly asks of her.

Liara leans down and captures her lips in a soft kiss. "You are a lecher, Shepard." She giggles, not missing the mischievous glint in her human's eye.

"You love it, though." She says, and it's true. "And you love me." Even truer.

The archaeologist doesn't deny it. She shrugs it off and her clothes fall behind her, leaving just a bra and a pair of panties covering her. "Of course I love you, Shepard." A small smirk that the shy maiden of several years ago wouldn't be caught making slowly rises. "And I'm very glad that you're not wearing anything there."

Shepard looks down at her own bare breasts. "Dr. Chakwas hates bras. She never lets me wear them, which is why I avoid being bedridden no matter what. It's cold as shit in the med bay."

"There, there, you grump." Liara swiftly unhooks her brassiere and drops it somewhere Shepard can't care enough to look.

The Spectre chuckles, bringing her hand to her scarred cheek. "I guess these aren't going away any time soon, huh?"

"It's a good thing I like them very much, then." Now, it's her panties that are discarded behind her.

Fingers trace the skin of Liara's previously unmarked skin. She's accumulated her fair share of wounds over the years, bullet holes and slashes from Kai Leng's sword. By no means is she careless, but anyone who's gone through what she has would have suffered from much more.

"We've all gone through some serious shit, Liara." Shepard swirls her thumb over the skin that's always reminded her of smooth leather, over a prominent mark left by a marauder's shot.

It's just like Shepard to label stopping two wars and then wiping out the Reapers 'serious shit'.

The thumb darts away from the scar and then onto the asari's lower stomach. The smile on her face is small enough to be unnoticeable, but under no circumstances does it lack in sincerity. "Did you..."

It takes a while for Liara to realize that Shepard's hand is on her womb. The wishful smile on the commander's face drops a ball of guilt into her stomach. "No, Shepard. I'm sorry."

Shepard doesn't look angry, just very much confused. "But that last time in London, didn't you say you wanted it?"

"I still do." Liara looks down regretfully. "But I was afraid you wouldn't come back, Shepard. I want her to grow up with her father. I couldn't risk getting shot and losing her in the middle of a war." For the hundredth time, she takes in the view. Shepard is there, mostly. No, she is wholly there. She's not going anywhere. "I don't think I could have handled it. I had to believe that you would come back again."

"I'm always going to come back to you." When the first fresh tears fall, Shepard wipes them away, just like how the asari did to her just minutes before. It's hard with only one hand, but she perseveres. "I promise I won't leave again. Nothing's going to take me from you."

"Please stay, Shepard." Liara pleads, as she tastes her lips again.

"I will." Her hand strokes her back in soothing patterns. "And I'll be a good dad. I promise."

Liara looks up at her, her eyes still moist around the edges. "What?"

"Let's have a baby, Liara." Shepard grins. "We won't have to make up stories to tell her before bedtime."

One last tear slides down her cheek as she registers her bondmate's words. "She'll be so proud to have you as a father."

And then she pulls down Shepard's boxers. She's so gentle with her tonight, like the redhead was before they went to Ilos. It surprises them that they're taking their time and nothing is urgent like they always were all the times before. They laugh and whisper and tease like they have all the time in the world, and they do. Liara relishes in the sounds she knows only she can draw from the commander's lips and Shepard is relieved beyond words when Liara's knees dig into the pillows with her legs around her head, glad that she can still pleasure her even if the human can't move most of herself.

When the meld finally comes, Shepard loses herself in the inky darkness of Liara's eyes. She sees the whole galaxy of stars in them and more, welcoming herself in and asking for permission to enter at the same time. When they join, it feels like a wave of warm water washing over her with bits of memories, thoughts, and everything swirling into one. She feels every time Liara weeps for her dead body in her house in Ilium, and Liara sees every time Shepard looks for the picture of her next to her bed, tears stinging behind her eyes with every message she sends that doesn't receive a reply.

Most of all, there's relief, hope, love. Liara is feeling all of her, offering up herself and requesting to take parts of her that she has always avoided during their previous melds. Shepard willingly gives it all up, feeling something she only now knows she has inside her being taken into the asari.

They draw out the joining for as long as they can, losing themselves in the seamless connection until finally, their minds part and the mesmerizing blue of Liara's eyes return. The Shadow Broker collapses beside her bondmate, gladly welcoming the strong arm that wraps around her shoulder.

Shepard felt it, she really did. "You're pregnant."

"Technically, our baby has not formed het, but yes." She lets her forehead rest against Shepard's, pressing a lazy kiss to her nose. "I'm going to have your baby."

"Asari take longer to show than humans, right? I'll get better, then, I'll take physical therapy and stuff. I'll get my prosthetics fitted." Shepard rubs Liara's belly gently, almost not believing that her child is there. She may be just a clump of cells at this point, but she and Liara's child is there. She can't wait to feel her kick already. "I'll take care of you when you begin getting weird cravings."

"But for now, I'll take care of you." Liara snuggles into her, sleep beginning to overtake her senses. "You deserve it."

"Go to sleep, Liara." Shepard chuckles when she sees her yawn. "You've got a long day of fulfilling my needs tomorrow."

The asari doesn't hold back a laugh at the statement. "Why do I think that food and baths aren't what you mean?"

The human's head slowly rests on the crown of Liara's head, where it belongs. "Because they aren't."

* * *

 **Alright, not as smexy as you guys probably hoped but I wanted to focus on the feels for this one. Want kinky dirty stuff? You gotta wait for it. Just kidding, tell me when you want it and I'll work on it.**

 **No guys seriously, I need your headcanons on asari physiology / alien marriages in general. It's essential because otherwise, we'll do things the human way, which is fine if that's your cup of tea.**


	5. Oh, Shit

_Hannah Shepard drags her daughter by the collar of her torn shirt and throws her into the cell herself. The door slides shut over the trail of blood that seeps from the nineteen year old redhead's leg, but that's not the only injured part of her. Her face is bruised and her hands are numb, but the scowl on her face persists._

 _"What were you thinking, Jane?" Hannah's face is stern as always, but the the disappointment is drowned out by humiliation and rage. "You raided Alliance ships and stole cargo with these drunk fools. What is wrong with you?"_

 _"You." Jane spits. "You're what's wrong with everything."_

 _Hannah's brows stiffen. "I knew you were upset that I left you for the war, but I never thought you'd take to piracy because of this."_

 _Jane grits her teeth and clenches her fists, perfectly aware that she can't do anything here. Not unarmed and not with so many soldiers around. "And what was I supposed to do? They attacked our ship. I joined them so I could live. I did what I could to live."_

 _"You killed everyone on our ship." Hannah steps forward and pulls Jane's collar. She looks at the green eyes of the daughter she doesn't know anymore. "You executed them."_

 _"I was-"_

 _"Enough!"_

 _"Shut up!" Jane retorts. She grabs the commander's collar and pulls even harder, knocking their foreheads together. None of them flinch. Moisture gathers in the corners of her eyes, like a child with a skinned knee._

 _For one second, that's exactly what Hannah sees again. Her little girl, coming back to her mother in tears after a long journey home. The grime and blood can't hide that from her. "You know there's only one way to get out of prison, Jane. With the things you've done, you should have a life sentence or a death penalty." She takes a deep breath. "The recruitment center opens every day starting at eight in the morning. You know what to do. We humans are short on people out there."_

* * *

 _"What? Me and Jack? No, Eezo's enough of a baby already. So no, we haven't thought of any names."_

Shepard frowns, wishing she could stroke Liara's head where it rests on her shoulder. Alas, her hand is busy typing very badly spelled mails. _"Arr youn sure?"_ The cool air would normally lead her to her hoodie that's currently neatly folded away, but the warm blankets and the arm tight around her side is all she needs to stay cozy.

 _"At the moment, yes."_ Comes Miranda's quick reply. _"What is this about?"_

 _"I impregnated Liara whit my tongue. I think thats an accomplishmtn."_

No response comes for the longest time. Shepard's just beginning to wonder if she fell asleep or if Jack decided to be Jack and swept everything on her desk away to fuck her on top of it. The latter is a more plausible situation. Finally, a new alert comes up just as the commander is about to open up a game.

 _"What?"_ Before she can answer, Miranda types another message. _"Shepard, are you joking?"_

 _"Nah. dont tell anyone yet tho havent discussdbit w her. Just asked garrus n tali but they have no idea too. Wrex and eve are gonna name their kid mordin."_

 _"I see."_ She imagines that Miranda must be cringing as she reads the lack of capital letters and spellchecking, not to mention the nonexistent commas. _"Why are you asking us about baby names, then? I'm sure Liara has ideas."_

Shepard begins to type out her answer when she feels Liara stir beside her. She quickly backspaces. _"Shes waking up brb"_

The omni-tool interface closes just in time before the asari opens her eyes and puts her lips on the Spectre's jaw. "Good morning, Shepard." Her voice is husky from the heavy fog of sleep and she nuzzles comfortably into the crook of the commander's neck.

"Morning, Liara." Shepard can't believe she managed to close it before she woke. She nudges her up with her one hand. "Mind letting me look at you?"

No, she doesn't mind at all. Not content with just letting her look, the Shadow Broker kisses her instead. It's tame and and sweet and is lasts longer than they're used to, but none of them are complaining.

"Shepard." That is, until a voice startles them into breaking off. Liara almost jumps out of the bed as she covers her breasts with the covers, sighing in relief when she realizes it's just EDI. "Your mother is here."

It might have been a comical sight otherwise, but Shepard's eyes widen to the size of a buffet plate. "Oh, shit."

"Shepard?" Liara nervously speaks her name, and it doesn't help at all.

"Liara," She says it like it's the last time they're going to see each other. "We have to get dressed now."

"Shepard, your mother is refusing to wait." EDI calmly informs, although the amusement is clear in her voice. "She is heading here right now."

"Damn it, EDI!" The hospital gown can't get on fast enough, but at least one panicking asari is putting it on for her. She frantically buttons it as quickly as possible, not giving a single shit about how she must have missed a couple.

Liara is hurriedly putting on her pants and her coat, and she's doing it with almost super speed. And then it hits Shepard.

"EDI, lock the-" The door opens. "-doors." Shepard's voice falls flat.

Hannah Shepard is a spitting image of her daughter. The cheekbones are sharper and she has wrinkles, but the resemblance is there. Her red hair is tied into a professional bun that most long haired recruits tie their hair into during training camps and her blue uniform is neatly pressed and fitted to perfection, a stark contrast to her daughter in her current state. Her only child's hair is messy and her hospital gown is only buttoned in places, and some of them are even in the wrong holes. Liara looks much better, but her clothes are wrinkled and she's standing unnaturally straight where she is.

Blue eyes avoid the discarded panties and bra by the bed, but she knows it's only a matter of time before Hannah spots it. At least they're her uninvitingly plain ones and not the lacy pair that she ordered online.

"Mom." Shepard finally greets, when the older human doesn't move or speak.

Hannah's lips are pressed shut and her hands are clammy and shaking. Despite her usual hatred of messy spaces, she breaks out into a run and doesn't mind the scattered undergarments. Shepard gives Liara a brief look of alarm before her mother leans down and gives her a hug.

She can't remember the last time she hugged her mother.

"Jane." Hannah's voice is a tad higher pitched than Shepard's but it doesn't carry the usual intensity that seems to always be present in her daughter's words. "You're alive."

"Yeah, mom." Shepard doesn't make a move to return the hug, at least not until Liara's glare urges her to. Slowly, her one arm touches the blue fabric of Hannah's uniform and it brings a rush of memories back. She held it when she was a child, pulling it to get some attention when she wanted to play with her toy guns together. She tugged on it when she was left all alone while Hannah fought in the First Contact war, and then she never held it again.

She was busy raiding ships and shooting people in Omega, then. No more time to walk behind her mother anymore to ask for treats and such.

Liara awkwardly averts her eyes when she hears the senior officer sniffle. "I proud of you, Janie. I'm glad you're okay. Everyone was so sure that you were dead..."

"I go back from the dead as a hobby." Shepard chuckles, a little morbidly.

"And you neglect to tell me you're not dead every time unless I spam your mail." Hannah separates herself from her daughter, a relieved smile on her face. "I would normally be angry, but you saved us all, honey. I don't think I can give you a time out after all this, even if you didn't read my most recent message. We'll meet again soon, but I'm more interested in something else at the moment." She gives Liara a look like she's scanning for every bit of information she can get.

"Good morning." Liara smiles the best she can for someone who was naked three minutes ago. "My name is Liara T'Soni."

"She's my girlfriend." Shepard grins proudly. If she could pat the asari's face right now, she would. "Before you ask, she graduated from the University of Thessia with honors. She majored in prothean archaeology and she's now one of the foremost experts in her field. She also found the blueprints for the Crucible, which is what saved all our asses. She also found my body so I could be back to my good looking self and not some meaty hunk floating around somewhere. She was crucial in defeating Saren-"

"Jane." Hannah stops her before she can say any more. She gives Liara a nod. "You have a very beautiful, intelligent and amazing woman. I've looked her up on the internet and my colleagues speak of her name. You don't have to talk me through all her accomplishments."

"Oh." Shepard falls silent.

A flash of guilt passes Hannah's face. Obviously, she was never so accepting before, but this asari has brought her daughter back to her and the chance can't be wasted. "Liara, has my daughter been good to you?"

"She's very attentive and sweet." She puts a hand on Shepard's shoulder, rubbing the clothed part gentle. The gesture calms the human quite a bit. "Shepard is an amazing woman-"

Hannah's eyes snap open. "Shepard?"

"Um, yes..." Liara exchanges a look with the aforementioned Spectre. "That... Is her name..."

"Jane Shepard," Hannah seems absolutely appalled. "Your own significant other calls you by your last name?"

"It's more of a habit." Liara quickly saves, feeling her lover tremble under her hands. "I didn't feel comfortable calling her by her first name when we first met. I was a very timid woman."

"We'll have a talk about this." Hannah gives her daughter a very serious look that evaporates into a look of utter gladness when she shifts her eyes to Liara. "Do you have any plans for the future?"

"Mom," Shepard whines. "You could start with asking how we met or something."

"Let's be honest, you two probably met when Jane blasted her way into some place or another and rescued you by leaving a trail of destruction in her wake."

Shepard looks like she's about to protest, but she knows better. "Actually, that's pretty accurate."

"So, plans about the future?" No one ever called Hannah anything but straightforward.

Liara gives Shepard an unspoken question with her eyes. The commander warns her to not do it, but this doesn't go unnoticed by her mother.

She taps her foot impatiently."Jane, what's going on?"

"N-Nothing." This is one of the very few moments when Liara has ever heard the intimidating commander stutter. Her voice breaks like a teenager caught with a porn magazine. She manages to not look at the spot just out of sight from Hannah's line of vision where Liara's bra and panties lie unattended.

Hook, line, and sinker. "Jane Shepard, I demand that you tell me what's going on. I'm your mother." She puts her hands on her hips.

Liara only now notices that Shepard looks like a varren in the path of a mako. The injured human looks to her bondmate for help, but that only spurs Hannah more.

"Jane..." Her eyes narrow. "Don't make me show her your porn collection."

Shepard rolls her eyes, absolutely relieved. "Heh, she probably knows about all of them." She's the Shadow Broker, after all.

"I'm talking about the old magazines under your bed from when you were sixteen."

The smug grin on Shepard's face is completely wiped off. "Wait, mom, don't."

"You have three-"

"Liara's pregnant, mom. We're having a baby."

Hannah falls speechless. It takes her a few seconds to process the information, and a few more to look to Liara. Her mouth opens, but she can't say a word until she opens it a second time. "Is this true?"

"Completely." Liara slides her hand into her bondmate's. She runs her thumb over the back of the Spectre's hand. "I'm sure Shepard will make a very good father."

Shepard herself seems more nervous than that. She tightens her hold on her lover's hand. "I hope."

Hannah narrows her eyes suspiciously. "I didn't know the two of you were married." She says it like she's displeased, but she can't help the smile that surfaces when she sees her daughter rub the asari's tummy.

She's heard a lot about Liara T'Soni. The archaeologist turned information broker who serves on the Normandy is a bright young asari whose contribution to the war effort was absolutely essential. What the reports failed to mention was how absolutely beautiful she was.

Her daughter's strong hand is softer than she's ever seen on Liara's still flat stomach. Her Jane is bedridden and can't even move her neck, but she sees it in the eyes that so often contained nothing bur animosity to her mother. She wants this baby, she loves her wife.

"We're not married, though."

And the loving smile drops from Hannah's face. "What?"

Liara thinks Shepard is about to faint when the older human's face almost reddens with what seems to be rage. "It's true. We're not married." She repeats, but it doesn't seem to make anything better.

In fact, Hannah looks at her daughter like she had just shat inside the waters of the Presidium. Shepard seems to shrink where she is and her lips turn a shade of sickly pale. "Jane!" She barks the name out like a drill sergeant back in basic training. "You are telling me that you impregnated a girl that you haven't married!?"

"M-Mom-"

Hannah looks like she's going to cry as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "Liara, I'm so sorry. I have no idea what my daughter was thinking."

Liara may not feel mortified, but she does feel the slightest bit amused. She feels a bit bad, considering that Shepard seems like she's going to grind her teeth flat, but she doesn't know what's coming next.

"Liara, Matriarch Aethyta is coming to visit. She is in the elevator." EDI's voice speaks out.

And then she knows what Shepard feels like.

* * *

 **Who's excited about the family reunion?**


	6. Triple Threat

**I'm settling in to Vancouver, guys. I'm really busy so please tell me if I made any errors here.**

* * *

"Liara," Shepard doesn't even care about saving face anymore. She's seen her glancing at the discarded undergarments by the bed. "Do it."

Liara immediately starts picking up the wrinkled panties, not even noticing the startled look on Hannah's face. With the bra also in her hand, she frantically shoves them both under the pillow in an impromptu plan to at least get it out of sight.

"Jane, what's going on?" Hannah looks like she did that one time she caught Shepard hiding from her teacher when she was five after she hid her broccoli inside a classmate's desk.

"Mom," If the commander looked scared before, she now looks absolutely terrified. "Go."

"What?" The older woman doesn't understand.

Shepard may not be able to do anything else, but Hannah has never seen her daughter look at her with such fear before. "Please!"

"Answer my question, Jane!"

Before she can, the door opens and in comes the woman that has haunted her visits to the Presidium's bar for a very long time. Matriarch Aethyta has a bandage over her right eye and everything below her right shin is gone and covered up, but not even that and the fact that she's walking with crutches makes her look any less terrifying.

"Hah!" The rough voice of Liara's voice booms through the room as she sees Shepard on her daughter's bed. "You're not fucking dead, Shep."

"Father, please go easy on Shepard." Had they not known any better, anyone could have mistaken Liara for a teenager who had just gotten caught fucking on the kitchen table.

pleads, feeling the utmost sympathy for her poor bondmate.

"She's a tough kid, she can handle it." Aethyta shrugs, dismissing her daughter's request without even considering to oblige. Her nostril rises in a sniff as she passes through the room, and she stops. "Shit, you've been bangin' in here."

"Father!"

Shepard groans, making a move that looks suspiciously like she's trying to bang her head against the headboards. "Oh, crap."

"That's no way to talk to your father in law, kid." The matriarch gives Hannah a nod of acknowledgement. Being a woman who appreciates the importance that is military power, she has definitely heard of the most famous Spectre's mother. Although her daughter's achievements overshadow her mother's, the elder human's accomplishments are nothing to scoff at.

However, Hannah doesn't return the gesture. "Father in law?" Her mouth gapes. "You knew about this?"

"What?" Aethyta looks at her like the redhead had just asked if they won the war. "Your kid and mine boinking? Duh."

"No, not that." Hannah glares at her daughter once again. Shepard and Liara both stay still, but their panicked eyes give a clear message that she shouldn't say it. "They are unmarried and they're having a baby!"

Liara looks like she's fighting the urge to facepalm herself. The commander closes her eyes, wondering if death would be a more merciful alternative.

"What?" The injured asari looks at her daughter with a look that might have been one of disappointment, but it slowly turns into a beaming grin. "That's my girl. You're as horny as I was when I was your age, and your woman's a dumbass but she looks virile as fuck."

Liara looks like she's paling. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

"Really?" Shepard murmurs. "Seems like it happens every time the three of us are in the same room."

"You've got a moisty as wet as a hanar's cock, Shep." Aethyta gives her a smirk of approval. "Hey, you knocked up my kid and you can't even move yet. Not bad. It wasn't bad, right?" She looks to the younger asari for an answer.

Not even her experience as a Shadow Broker can mask her mortification. "I am not answering that."

"Oh, you sweet thing." The biotic coos jokingly, her gravelly voice unsuited to such a tone. "You're blushing, little girl." It's a habit that her war-touched daughter has never been able to shake off.

Hannah isn't so amused. "Are you telling me that you're fine with my daughter impregnating yours when they're unmarried?"

"Huh?" Aethyta doesn't seem to have caught the point. "Thought you humans grew out of the prude phase years ago."

"This isn't about that," Hannah calmly denies. "Marriage is a way of showing that Jane will be a responsible mother and wife. It shows that she won't go off to start bar fights and such and give a bad example to the child."

"Hey, look at the kid's parents." The asari cocks her head to the rather disquieted couple. "She's gonna be throwin' grenades at five, tops."

"I am serious, Matriarch Aethyta."

"Yeah, me too."

"Fucking damn it." Shepard exasperatedly releases a long breath. "I'm so hurt I'm swimming in painkillers and you're all badgering me into an altar."

"Jane Shepard!" Hannah gasps. "Are you saying that you won't marry her?"

Liara herself seems at a loss for words. "Um..."

"Mom," Shepard sounds like a child being scolded for eating in bed. "There was a war going on. I didn't really have time to go shopping for weddind rings and sample wine bottles!"

"No excuses, Jane. You should have married her before that, then."

"I was quarantined in an Alliance base!"

"Before that!"

"Stopping the Collectors from harvesting humans for their invasion!"

"Hey, now." Aethyta seems a bit offended. "My kid's been really busy too. No one forgot how much my kid did for the war, right?"

Of course, the both loosely and tightly guarded secret that Liara is the Shadow Broker will bite her in the ass one day, and by one day, Liara means now. "Father..."

"I know it was confidential asari military stuff, but my daughter found the round thing that blew the Reapers to hell, for Goddess' sake!"

"Father, I think you should sit down..." Of course the matriarch wouldn't forget to keep it a secret, but this family meeting is involving a bit too much excitement for the young asari.

Of course, Liara's words go unheeded. Aethyta continues on with her proud rambling. "Who was it that got the Alliance that much resources to build the Crucible? My kid. Who fucked Shep doggy style to get all that tension off? My kid."

"What?" Liara gives Hannah her most polite smile. "That never happened."

Shepard sighs. The whole matriarchy has tried to shut Liara's father down for longer than the human has been alive, and they have never succeeded, so she won't even try to do it. She hopelessly watches.

"And guess who probably ate her out under the table during one of those boring ass war summits? My kid." Aethyta seems too proud for someone who announced that to the three.

Hannah doesn't know what to think, but she definitely does look very much pissed. "Jane, is any of this true? If so, then you violated twenty eight regulations and-"

"No! Fuck," Shepard pinches the bridge of her nose hard enough to leave a red mark. She sighs and waits until everyone is quiet. Her tone returns to the one she used to intimidate krogans to follow her and the one she used to badger the quarians to stop charging at the geth. "None of that was true and we are not discussing this. That's..."

Except that it's not true. It must have slipped her mind before, but she does have a ring. She never even considered it, but it's still neatly tucked inside her drawer because she can't bear to use it and probably accidentally damage it, not to mention it was a gift from one of her closest friends.

Would it be fine if she used the ring EDI gave her in her Citadel apartment?

She's still so hurt she can't do anything. Maybe it would be better if she waited for a better time? The commander has never even thought of it before. They've always been running and fighting and trying to make the most out of every one of their brief moments together, but even now she forgets that it's not the case anymore.

What to do? What now?

"Shepard?" Liara's hand stays on her shoulder as the asari gives her a look of concern. "Is everything okay?"

She shouldn't have trailed off like that. "Nothing, just feeling a bit woozy from whatever I took earlier."

Liara has always been adept at seeing lies. The stiffening of the commander's lips tips her off, just like the slight aversion of Shepard's eyes. "Okay. If you say so, Shepard." She'll ask later, though, when they're alone.

Fortunately for them, before the excitement can start up again, the third unannounced visitor drops by just in time to make Shepard sigh with profound exasperation. Chakwas crossly walks into the room as soon as the door opens, her eyes locked to the immobile commander on the bed. She doesn't seem to even register the presence of the parents as her eyes narrow into an intimidating glare.

"Commander Shepard." Her voice is blunt. "I thought I told you to stay in the med bay at all times! Have you been taking your pills?"

"I made sure she took them, Doctor." Liara steps in swiftly.

"Then why are they on the bedside table?"

"Because we just woke up." Shepard groans, suddenly feeling a coming headache. "What time is it, anyway? It's too early for... For this." Her eyes seem to bulge at the word.

"Don't be silly, Commander. It's just because you haven't had your coffee." Chakwas sighs, figuring that it's useless to try and reprimand the war hero. She's been trying for years and she still hasn't succeeded, and she reckons she never will.

Liara knows coffee will at least make her bondmate a bit less cranky. "Do you want some coffee, Shepard?" She asks, with a half apologetic smile.

"Not right now, thanks." Shepard can't bear the thought of facing all three of them without the presence of the Shadow Broker. She might cry a bit.

"Poor kiddo." Aethyta shakes her head with pity. "She probably just wants some seconds."

Chakwas doesn't catch her meaning. "What?"

Liara clears her throat, her cheeks a bit bluer than they were before. It's better to tell the doctor herself rather than waiting for her father to come up with some crude way to break the news. "I mapped Shepard's DNA last night."

Sure enough, the older asari rolls her eyes with poorly concealed pride. "Damn, it's just like you to say it like that."

"I got her pregnant. There." Shepard decides to put it in the simplest way.

Chakwas doesn't say a word, but she waits for someone to say they were joking. When she realizes they're not joking, the silence grows stronger, if such a thing is even possible.

"I know it's a lot to take in." Liara knows that military personnel aren't allowed to make family plans so abruptly, and especially not important ones like Shepard.

"Come on, doc." Shepard does that pout of hers. "Don't we get to have a happy ending?"

It's not even something to consider for the Alliance doctor. "Of course you do, Shepard. Both of you deserve it." She's been on duty for many, many years and she has seen nothing but death and more death. She's seen promising soldiers go into deep depression after a crippling injury that leaves them unable to serve anymore and she's witnessed young and willing men and women killed before they even reached their thirties. It's good to have a change, however small. "The two of you would make such good mothers."

Shepard doesn't know if it's true, though. Liara is brilliant and intelligent and she has the a natural aptitude to caring that often fools her opponents to underestimating her, but the human herself? She has destroyed frigates and killed more people with her hands than she can count. She's one woman standing on a mountain of corpses, one living being whose hands are stained with the stink of death.

She has plenty of time, though, to make everything better for the her bondmate and their daughter. EDI is always available. She'll talk to her as soon as she's alone.


	7. You're Welcome

_Aethyta can't believe it._

 _This is the mighty Commander Shepard, first human Spectre and her own daughter's bondmate. Her shoulder shakes as she takes another swig, silent tears staining the entirety of her freckled cheeks. She's gripping the bottle so hard that the asari is afraid it might shatter and fuck up the counter she so painstakingly cleaned herself._

 _Now this so-called hero is dirtying everything with the spilled drink and probably snot, too. The bald woman with the tattoos and the beautiful brunette with her seems like they've got no idea what to do, and so they aren't doing anything to stop her._

 _"_ _Shepard..." Miranda puts a tentative hand on her back, ready to defend herself if the commander chooses to lash out. She doesn't. Jane Shepard is clad in full armor and she's fully armed, but she's quietly sobbing into the counter like it doesn't even matter._

 _The Australian has no idea what to say._

 _The matriarch herself has some experience with the crying drunks, but she's never seen a Spectre of all people be like this, and not just any Spectre. She hears that Commander Shepard has an air of authority that demands respect and a voice as sharp as a blade, but all she sees is some poor sap who just got dumped by her daughter._

 _"_ _Hey, hey..." Her rough voice sounds strange whenever she tries to console the occasional heartbroken sap that rolls in and gives her all their money. "It'll be fine, kid. You'll get over it."_

 _No one ever said she was good at it, though._

 _"_ _Fuck you." The human holds back a choked sob and slams down her glass just enough to not break it, but the liquid inside sloshes out and splashes over her armored hand and the shiny surface of the counter. "She... Liara doesn't love me anymore."_

* * *

Sweet, sweet silence. Sweet, sweet Chakwas. At least she does a lot of good for the commander, even when she's beyond furious. "I need to check Shepard's injuries." She said, and then shooed Hannah and Aethyta away.

It feels a bit wrong, getting into a yelling match with them. She should be telling them about how glad she is that they're even alive, and Shepard really is relieved that they're not lumped in a pile of corpses somewhere, but everything feels so strange to her.

So domestic.

They're weren't talking about casualty reports and resource rationing, or about politicians and wars. They were talking about her having a baby with Liara, and that's one thought she never thought she would even have to entertain. They were talking about marriage and family and all the things that Shepard had pushed to the back of her mind as she scoured the entire galaxy for anything that could help them win the war and prevent another mass extinction.

It's quiet in Liara's room. The asari said she was going to bring some food for her, and if she knows James well enough, he's whipping up his famous eggs for her right now. The quiet is strange, though, but it doesn't stay that way for too long.

The door whirs open, and judging by the lack of sleepy footsteps or breathing, Shepard's wait is over. "Is that you, EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard."

"EDI." She says the name out loud, and then stays quiet. She should have thought this through and she definitely should have run the words through her head before this, but maybe it's the drugs in her system that's messing with her common sense. People don't exactly ask things like this to others. Humans would consider it rude, but the AI isn't human. "Uh..."

"Is something wrong, Shepard?" The rise of EDI's brow is as natural as ever. "I distinctly remember recycling the oxygen reserves." She pauses, then her mouth drops just a bit. "Wait..."

"I hope that was a joke, EDI." Shepard knows it probably is, but the look of concern of her face never gets old for the synthetic.

"It was." EDI confirms, with a small mischievous smile. "Now, is there a reason for your request to see me?"

"Yeah." Shepard would awkwardly fiddle with the hem of her clothes, if she could. "I need to ask you something."

"You are not the type to," She looks for the words Joker uses to describe the Councilors. "Fuck around, Shepard."

"I know." She knows she has to say it quick before Liara comes back with her food. Despite feeling like her stomach has a little blender whirring inside it, she decides to spit it out. "Say, if I'm going to ask Liara to marry me... I would need a ring, right?"

EDI's eyes seem to light up at the suggestion. "Yes, if you are thinking of a human proposal."

And then it all comes crashing down. "Fuck! I didn't research asari rituals and all that." Shepard curses, groaning quite emotively. "Shitting-"

"James has finished cooking." EDI suddenly announces. "Liara is picking up the trays."

"Can I use the ring you gave me?" Shepard blurts hurriedly. "I fucking love it and I really appreciate you getting it for me-"

"You have a deep emotional connection with me and the present I gave you, which is why you want to use it to ask Liara to become your spouse."

Just as the injured Spectre is about to deny it all, she doesn't. "You're... Right."

EDI smiles so warmly that it would give all who doubted her sentience pause. "I've been practicing to read facial expressions, Shepard. I can now read turian, asari, salarian, batarian, and the emotions of other species correctly as well." When she realizes she's rambling, she stops the train of thought. "But yes, of course you can use my gift. I'm honored, Shepard." Her voice fluctuates at the end of the sentence, brimming with feelings that she didn't know she could experience just years ago.

Pride. Compassion. Companionship. All the things she questioned when the barriers that prevented EDI from being EDI were unlocked.

The smell of eggs and coffee drifts by before Shepard can say her thanks, regretfully. "Liara?"

"Patience, Shepard. I have your coffee." Liara cheekily replies as she gives EDI a welcoming look. "Hello, EDI."

"Hello." The synthetic greets as she walks past. "I was just leaving to help with the recovery efforts."

"They appreciate your help very much." Liara pulls her chair to the spot by Shepard's side of the bed. "I've received many messages complimenting your sensors and strength."

EDI looks like she'd blush if she could. "I am very flattered, but the geth and everyone who is able are also helping as much as I am."

"That doesn't make their gratitude any less genuine." Liara has a point. "Also, you forget that not everyone can lift or sense things as you do."

"I—thank you." The AI sheepishly grins, then remembers that she should probably get going. "I will see you later."

"Yeah, see you." Shepard gives her a look of due gratitude. Sending a message through her mail won't do, as a certain information broker will surely look into it and find out. The commander doesn't want her to know, not yet. Just for once in her life, she wants to have the jump on her bondmate.

One look of silent understanding is the last thing EDI gives her hurt CO before she leaves the room with her usual graceful stride.

"Damn, you don't know how glad I am that I can have James' eggs again." Shepard takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the soldier's trademark dish.

Liara quickly starts cutting said omelette into small pieces, acutely aware of how much the redhead loves the fellow human's cooking. "I even brought your favorite coffee."

"Cheap instant coffee." The scent brings many memories back of all the mornings she spent with every single member of her crew. Mordin didn't need to be more hyper, leading to Shepard insisting that he got decaf. Thane preferred tea, so much that he had racks of different types in his quarters. Kaidan liked his coffee with some creamer. "My favorite."

"I'm quite sure your blood is ten percent caffeine, at this point." Liara quips, giving Shepard her first bite of egg.

The Spectre chuckles. She remembers the nights when she stared at casualty reports by the billions, downing one mug of coffee after another to get her through the busy nights. "Fuck the IV, just bring me a bag of joe and plug it in."

"Shepard, no." Liara looks horrified, frankly.

"Shepard, yes." The commander gives her a lopsided grin that not many have the chance of seeing.

Liara gives her an odd combination of a sigh and a laugh. At least the asari had the heart to replace the cheap Alliance rations with the quality ones she ordered online. It would be so unfortunate if that smile was ruined by coffee stains. "You'll have plenty of time to sleep now."

"Yeah, about that..." Shepard doesn't look the least bit apologetic as she makes sure not to spit out bits of her precious omelette. "I was hoping we'd do another kind of sleeping..."

The asari rolls her eyes in good humor, unable to hold in her giggle. "Of course. The hero deserves a happily ever after, doesn't she?"

"With a smart and beautiful bondmate, a squad of the most badass group of fuckers out there, and this." She makes a point by reaching her hand out just enough to stroke Liara's stomach with the back of her fingers. "Do you, uh, have a name in mind yet?"

Liara has that inquisitive look in her eyes again, the one that drew the commander in all the time when the young archaeologist from the hunt for Saren talked about protheans. "Not yet, Shepard." She's not a good information broker for nothing, though. "Do you?"

Green eyes look down in doubt. "Maybe. I think... I don't know."

That tells everything the asari needs to know. "Shepard?" She asks, her voice a bit softer. "What is it?"

"Wrex is naming his kid after Mordin." Shepard raps her fingers against the sheets contemplatively.

"Yes, he is." Liara smiles at the mention of their old friend. "He really appreciates him, even if he gave him a hard time."

"Y'know, if it's okay with you, I wanna do the same thing." It's so unlike her to be so indirect, so sheepish, but this is their daughter they're talking about. She's as inexperienced as they come, and she doubts it will feel anything else but strange for the time being. Her tongue feels like putty.

It clicks. "Oh, Shepard." Liara puts the tray down for a moment so she can lean forward and give the redhead's still pale lips a slow, adoring kiss that she almost can't bear to let go of. "Kaidan was our friend too. I told you that I cared about him as well."

"I still think about him, Liara." Shepard admits, her voice a bit strained. "I think about how he'd love to be an uncle and how sad he'd be that he couldn't fight against the Reapers in the final push. Fuck, I listened to his last words through the radio..."

Liara can't do anything but hold the commander's hand as she watches the human's eyes fall farther away again, like they always look when she talks about a fallen comrade. No tears run down her cheeks, though. She cried a lifetime's worth of them when he passed, and then some more when Thane and Mordin did. The asari was there too, in Virmire. She ran faster than she knew her legs could take her, following the brash Spectre's back as bullets whirred past.

"He would be so proud of you." Liara rubs reassuring circles around Shepard's palm. The skin is calloused and rough with years of fights and struggles, but there's only so much wear and tear a person can stand.

She let him go long ago, right before she was blown into a hunk of unrecognizable flesh by the Collector ship, but that doesn't mean she doesn't think of him at times. "I know, Liara." She sighs, feeling the dull ache fade again from her chest. "I know."

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 **Spellcheck isn't working in my Word. Tell me if something's screwed up!**


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